Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
A loaf of cinnamon pull-apart bread with cream cheese icing sits on parchment paper atop a cooling rack. Stacked plates and cinnamon sticks are visible in the background.
No ratings yet

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

This gluten-free cinnamon pull-apart bread is easier than cinnamon rolls, with all the same flavor. My homemade flour blend and psyllium husk make a soft dough that rolls out, stacks and pulls apart just like regular bread. Buttery layers of dough and cinnamon sugar are finished with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 160 g (1 cups) brown rice flour
  • 115 g (1 cup) tapioca starch
  • 75 g (½ cup) potato starch
  • 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 8 g (½ tablespoon) kosher salt - I used Morton kosher salt
  • 7 g (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast - 1 packet
  • 6 g (2 teaspoons) xanthan gum
  • 8 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder

Psyllium Mixture

  • 16 g (2 tablespoons) whole psyllium husk - I used Anthony's Organic Whole Psyllium Husk
  • 160 g (⅔ cup) warm water - about 100°F

Wet Ingredients

  • 160 g (⅔ cup) warm whole milk - 100–110°F
  • 1 large egg - about 50 g
  • 57 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter - melted and slightly cooled
  • 5 g (1 teaspoon) apple cider vinegar

Cinnamon Filling

  • 57 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter - melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 150 g (¾ cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 12 g (1½ tablespoons) ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 57 g (2 oz) cream cheese - softened
  • 14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter - softened
  • 100 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
  • 7 g (½ tablespoon) whole milk - plus more as needed
  • 2 g (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract

**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!

Instructions

For the Dough:

  • Mix the dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 160 g (1 cups) brown rice flour , 115 g (1 cup) tapioca starch, 75 g (½ cup) potato starch, 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar, 8 g (½ tablespoon) kosher salt, 7 g (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast, 6 g (2 teaspoons) xanthan gum, and 8 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder.
    A glass bowl filled with dry baking ingredients, including tapioca flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, instant yeast, sugar, and baking powder, sits on a light countertop. A small dish with cinnamon is partially visible nearby.
  • Make the psyllium gel: In a small bowl, whisk together 16 g (2 tablespoons) whole psyllium husk and 160 g (⅔ cup) warm water until thickened into a gel. Set aside for about one minute to hydrate fully.
    A metal spoon stirs psyllium gel mixture in a glass measuring cup with measurement markings visible.
  • Combine the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 160 g (⅔ cup) warm whole milk, 1 large egg , 57 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, and 5 g (1 teaspoon) apple cider vinegar. Add in the psyllium gel and whisk until smooth and uniform.
    A glass bowl filled with wet ingredient for gluten-free pull apart cinnamon bread, including melted butter, egg, milk, and psyllium husk.
  • Make the dough: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The dough should be soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
    A glass mixing bowl filled with gluten-free bread dough sits on a light pink surface. The dough appears soft and well-mixed, with a few air pockets visible on its surface.
  • Knead the dough: Dust your work surface with tapioca starch. Turn out the dough and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. The dough can be a little sticky, so dust with more tapioca starch as needed.
    A round ball of gluten-free bread dough dusted with tapioca flour sits on a floured surface, ready for kneading or rising.

For the Cinnamon Filling:

  • Make the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, stir together 150 g (¾ cup) packed light brown sugar and 12 g (1½ tablespoons) ground cinnamon. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar miture for topping the loaf.
    A clear glass bowl filled with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture sits on a light marble countertop.

Shape the Loaf:

  • Prepare the pan: Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter. For easier removal, line it with a parchment sling that hangs over the long sides.
  • Roll out the dough: Roll the dough into a square about 12x12 inches. Run a bench scraper under the dough occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to your surface.
    A square piece of gluten-free enriched dough is rolled out on a floured surface with a rolling pin and a dough scraper nearby.
  • Add the melted butter: Brush 57 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter (melted and cooled) evenly over the dough, going almost all the way to the edges.
    A square of rolled-out dough brushed with melted butter sits on a floured surface next to a wooden rolling pin.
  • Add the cinnamon sugar: Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the melted butter.
    A square sheet of dough covered with a brown cinnamon-sugar mixture sits on a floured surface next to a rolling pin.
  • Cut the squares: Using a bench scraper, pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into a 4-by-4 gride to make 16 squares, each about 3x3-inches.
    Dough rolled into a rectangle, topped with cinnamon sugar, and cut into 16 squares. A wooden rolling pin rests on the right side. Tapioca flour is scattered on the light countertop.
  • Stack the squares: Stack 4 squares on top of one another with the cinnamon-sugar sides facing up.
    Four stacked rectangles of dough coated with cinnamon sugar, resting on a lightly floured surface, with extra cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.
  • Fill the pan: Turn the stack on its side and set it in one end of the prepared pan so the layers run across the width of the pan, like files in a filing cabinet. Repeat with the remaining squares, making 3 more stacks and lining them up one behind the other in the pan. Cover the top with the reserved 1 tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar mixture.
    Slices of dough coated with cinnamon sugar are stacked in a parchment-lined loaf pan, ready for baking.

Proof and Bake:

  • Let it rise: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the dough is very puffy and roughly doubled in size.
    A loaf pan filled with layers of uncooked cinnamon pull-apart bread dough, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon, ready to be baked.
  • Preheat and bake: About 30 minutes before the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads about 200℉. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil and continue baking.
    A metal loaf pan filled with slices of cinnamon pull-apart bread, with a golden-brown crust and visible cinnamon sugar on top.
  • Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it out.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Make the frosting: While the bread cools briefly, beat 57 g (2 oz) cream cheese and softened 14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter together until smooth. Add 100 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add 7 g (½ tablespoon) whole milk and 2 g (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Add a little more milk, if needed, to make the frosting thin enough to drizzle.
    A glass bowl with creamy, whipped white cream cheese icing swirled in the center with peaks and ridges along the sides.
  • Frost and serve: Drizzle the frosting over the pull-apart bread while it is still warm. Serve warm by pulling apart the layers.
    Sliced cinnamon pull-apart bread topped with white icing sits on parchment paper over a cooling rack, with one piece separated and icing dripping down the sides.

Notes

  • Flour Blend: Don't substitute a store-bought gluten-free flour blend. Most aren't designed for yeast doughs and will give you dense or dry bread.
  • Weigh your ingredients: Gluten-free baking is a lot less forgiving and a kitchen scale is the best way to get the same soft dough every time. 
  • Make-Ahead: Shape and proof for about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Let finish rising at room temperature before baking.
  • Storage: Best enjoyed the day it's baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 563IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1mg
QR Code linking back to recipe